Material collector



Jan. 17, 1961 F. H. CLUTE MATERIAL COLLECTOR Filed Nov. 12, 1957 IN V EN TOR. FiW/Yd/ f/. d/u/e m au-rr United States Patent MATERIAL COLLECTOR Francis H. Clute, Rocky Ford, Colo., assignor to The Clute Corporation, Rocky Ford, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Nov. 12, 1957, Ser. No. 695,726 1 Claim. (Cl. 209-143) This invention relates to a separator for materials of differing specific gravities and has for its primary object the provision of structure permitting movement of the material along a predetermined path of travel and automatically dropping out heavier particles for collection and ultimate discharge to a point of storage, use, packaging or other dispensation.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a material separator wherein the material is caused to be moved by creation of artificial currents of air and employing structure interposed within the air stream for permitting heavy particles to gravitate therefrom as the lighter particles continue to move with the air currents to a point of ultimate discharge.

Another important object of the instant invention is to provide air-flow structure that expands intermediate the ends thereof into a hollow body for collecting the heavy particles to the end that the material may be introduced into the air stream at one restricted end of the structure and the lighter particles carried away from the hollow body through an opposed restricted end of the air-flow structure.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide improved means within the aforementioned hollow body for controlling separation of the particles and, therefore, the volume of light particles which are permitted to continue through the system toward and through the source of suction.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on I irregular line II of Fig. 2, parts being broken away for clearness illustrating a material collector made pursuant to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, parts being broken away and in section to reveal details of construction; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 1.

A continuous air flow system is provided in the instant invention to present the material collector illustrated in the drawing, including therefore, an inlet tube 10 having a vertical stretch 12, an outlet tube 14 and a hollow body 16 interposed between and depending from the tubes 10 and 14. The means chosen for illustration to create artificial currents of air and draw the same through the hollow components 10, 14 and 16, constitutes a suitable blower 18 at the outermost end of the outlet tube 14 and provided with an outlet 20. A damper 22 is interposed in the outlet tube 14 between the body 16 and the blower 18 to control the flow of'air.

The vertical stretch 12 of the inlet pipe 10 has a downwardly facing air inlet opening 24 at the lowermost end thereof and a material inlet opening (not shown) is in a diffuser 28 that progressively increases in width horizontally as the body 16 is approached (Fig. 1) and progressively decreases in its vertical dimensions as body 16 is approached (see Fig. 2). Accordingly, one vertical Wall 30 of the body 16 is provided with a rectangular opening for receiving the diffuser 28, such opening having its iongitudinal axis disposed horizontally immediately below top wall 32 of the body 16.

Conversely, there is provided a plenum chamber 34 between the body 16 and the outlet tube or conduit 14 that progressively increases in width as body 16 is approached (Fig. 1) and progressively decreases in its vertical dimensions as body 16 is approached (see Fig. 2). It follows therefore, that vertical wall 36 of body 16 is likewise provided with a rectangular opening adjacent top 32 for receiving the plenum chamber 34 and such outlet opening in the'wall 36 has its longitudinal axis is disposed horizontally.

Manifestly, by virtue of such construction, the material entering the body 16 adjacent the zone of merger between walls 30 and 32, is diffused in the body 16 to substantially span the distance between vertical walls 38 and 40. By the same token, the chamber 34 collects lighter particles and condenses the same as they move into the conduit 14. e

The lowermost portions of-the body 16 are formed much like a funnel in that there is provided three walls 42, 44 and 46 that converge toward a tube 48 and form the bottom of the body 16, it being understood that walls 44 and 46 interconnect walls 36 and 42.

A gate 50 mounted on the tube 48 for swinging movement about horizontal axis 52 is normally held biased to the closed position shown through the medium of a counterbalance weight 54.

Means is provided in body 16 within the path of air and therefore, material to be separated normally flowing from diffuser 28 to plenum chamber 34, to control the amount of lighter particles that are permitted to passv to the conduit 14. Such control is in the nature of a bafileplate 56 spanning the distance between the walls 38 and 40 and swingably carried thereby along one edge of baflle 56 by hinge means 58.

The pivotal connection 58 for the baffle 56 is disposed at the corner between walls 30 and 32 and suitable handle means 60 is provided therefor exteriorly of the body 16 to permit positioning of the baffle 56 within the body 16 as desired. A pin or the like 62, insertable in handle 60 and in any one of a plurality of openings 64, holds the baffle 56 in selected positions of adjustment, openings 64 being in a plate secured to wall 40. It is to be noted that the baffle 56 terminates at its free end in spaced relationship to the wall 36 and that it is swingable toward and away from the top wall 32.

Additional, but stationary baffle means 66 is provided in the body 16 spanning the distance between the walls 38 and 40 and secured to the inner face of wall 36 between the inlet of plenum 3 4 and the tube 48. It is to be noted that elongated baffle 66 is inclined downwardly and inwardly transversely thereof from wall 36.

Material to be separated is fed into hopper 26 during operation of the blower 18 and, by virtue of suction that is created in the inlet conduit 10, such material is elevated along the vertical stretch 12 and flows through the diffuser 28 into the body 16. Heavier particles separate immediately from the material as the same enter the body 16, whereas the lighter particles remain in the air stream and pass from the body 16 into the plenum chamber 34, thence into the outlet conduit 14, and finally through the blower 18 for discharge from outlet 20 of the latter.

The heavy particles collected in the body 16 ultimately discharge from the tube 48 as the heavy particles overcome the gate 50 and particularly the counter balance weight 54 thereof. Any tendency of the heavy particles to rise along the inner face of wall 36 for outward flow intothe plenum chamber 34 is impeded by the batfie66.

Assuming that the blower 18*is operating to produce an air flow of a predetermined volume and velocity, the amount of lighter particles that is permitted to flow from the body 16 intothe plenum 34-is dependent upon the position of the bafile 56 within the air stream. Manifestly, as the baffle 56 is lowered, thereby impeding free direct flow of the material from diffuser 23 to plenum 34 directly across the body 16, lesser amounts of lighter particles are permitted to discharge from the body 16.

Adjustment of the baffle 56 through use of the handle means 60 is made by the operator in conjunction with adjustment of the damper 22 upon examination of the particles emanating from the tube 48 and the outlet 20, all depending upon the nature of the ultimate product or products desired to be placed in use whether the same be.

the heavy or the light particles, or both.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured. by Letters Patent is:

Separating apparatus for comminuted material having particles of different specific gravities, said apparatus comprising a hollow body having a plurality of structural members, said members including an upright first end wall and a second end wall spaced from said first end wall and having an upper portion disposed substantially in parallelism with said first end wall and an inclined lower portion converging with the first end wall, each of said end walls being provided with an elongated, longitudinally horizontal opening proximal the upper edge thereof; an inlet conduit having an uppermost end spaced from said opening in said second end wall and including a vertical stretch having an air inlet opening at the lowermost end thereof, said stretch being provided with a material inlet means intermediate the ends thereof; an outlet conduit having an uppermost end spaced from said opening in said first end wall and provided with an outlet opening; a hollow, horizontally disposed diffuser interconnecting said uppermost end of said inlet conduit and said opening in said second end wall, said diffuser progressively increasing in horizontal width and decreasing in vertical height as said last-mentioned opening is approached; a hollow, horizontally disposed plenum-chamber interconnecting said uppermost end of. said outlet conduit and said opening in said first end wall, said plenum chamber progressively increasing in horizontal width and decreasing in vertical height as said last-mentioned opening is approached; means interposed in saidsoutlet conduit intermediate the ends thereof for.

creating artificial currents of air and forcing the same through the conduits and the body from said air inlet opening to said outlet opening, said material inlet means being disposed for gravitational feeding of said material into the stream of air flowing upwardly through said stretch from said air inlet opening to said body; a baffle within said body between the opening of said end walls, said baflle being swingable at the uppermost edge thereof directly above and substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said opening in said second end wall, the baflle having a lowermost edge between the end walls, parallel with the axis of swinging movement of the bafile, said baffle spanning more than half the distance between said end walls and having a concave lowermost face to maintain substantially laminar flow of the air stream issuing from said opening in said second wall as the air stream is being deflected downwardly by said baflle, whereby particles of said material having lower specific gravities are separated from particles having higher specific gravities by remaining in said air stream after deflection thereby as the heavier particles gravitate downwardly; a fixed, flat baflle inclined downwardly to said first end wall and having an uppermost edge secured to the innermost face thereof at a position spaced directly below and substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of saidopening therein, the lowermost ends of said fixed baflle and said swingable baffle presenting an orifice for the passage of said air stream therethrough upon movement of the swingable bafl'le; lever means mounted on said body and exterior thereto, said lever means being operably coupled to said swingable baffle at said uppermost edge of the latter for selectively swingingsaid swingabletbafile downwardly into and-up: wardly out, of said air stream; and collector means connectedwith the body at the lowermost edges of the end walls, whereby heavier particles of said material are collected therein after being deflected downwardly in said air stream by said swingable baffle and flow thereto under gravitational action, after being removed from said air stream.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 268,305 Smith Nov. 28, 1882 1,116,485 Reddy Nov. 10, 1914 1,135,594 Liggett Apr. 13, 1915 1,742,812 Huneycutt Jan. 7, 1930 2,758,713 Hardinge Aug. 14, 1956 2,808,151 Clute Oct. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 103,230 Great Britain Jan-18,1917" 1,026,035 France Jan. 28, 1953 

